George Bryant Gardner (1813-1898)
From Blattman genealogy
| George Bryant Gardner | |
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| Born | April 4, 1813 New Ipswich, New Hampshire |
| Died | March 13, 1898 |
| Resting place | Woodruff, Arizona |
| Spouse | Harriet Maria Beebe Elizabeth Dyer Ryan Elizabeth Ann Bird Elizabeth Lucena Mecham |
| Children | William Bryant Gardner Georgia Ann Gardner Charles Fredrick Gardner George Bela Gardner Harriet Lorine Gardner Leighman Emmery Gardner Horace Eugene Gardner Quince Rogers Gardner LeRoy Winslow Gardner Mary Elizabeth Gardner Ruth Jane Gardner Fay Ireiss Gardner Guy French Gardner |
| Parents | Abel Gardner Susannah Bryant |
George Bryant Gardner was an early pioneer of the LDS church. George was a blacksmith in Salt Lake City before serving a mission in Arizona. George served faithfully until his death in 1898.
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Childhood
George Bryant Gardner was the youngest of thirteen children born to Abel and Susannah, and he noted that they all lived until he was over thirty years of age. He notes that his father was a Revolutionary soldier who enlisted when fifteen years of age and served for seven years (until peace was declared), then served again in what we know as the War of 1812.
Marriage and life in New Hampshire
George Bryant's first wife was Elizabeth Dyar Ryan, to whom he as married on November 3, 1836. George Bryant had apparently learned and was practicing the trade of Blacksmith at the time of his marriage. In May of 1841, George and Elizabeth moved to Peterborough, New Hampshire where they bought a house and some land. George had joined the Methodist Church when he was seventeen years old, and in Peterborough a Methodist Deacon named Peneman built George a good blacksmith shop. George stated in his diary that this "started business again."
Conversion to the church
The story of George Bryant's conversion to the church is best told in his own words:
I attended meeting very regularly, and was chorister, class leader and Sabbath school Teacher for about six months at that place, at the Methodist meeting house and in good standing with that society. One Sabbath about the first of July 1841, while sitting and listening to our Methodist Priest, it being warm weather and all the windows opened, my ears caught the sound of some man preaching in the Town House just across a narrow lane which sounded like music to my ears. On inquiry after meeting I learned it was a man by the name of Eli P. Magim, a Mormon Elder from Nauvoo, Illinois. I was determined to know more about him, and accordingly the next time he preached I made arrangements with my Methodist brethren in regards to their singing and went to hear him preach, and was satisfied that he was called of God and I should not resist.
He did not preach very often but when he did I made it in my way to hear him. I concluded to be baptized, accordingly the day was set when he should visit me and attend to the ordinance. I was working in my shop when I saw him coming. I took off my blacksmith apron and laid my hammer on the anvil and went with him to the water. Left my wife a crying, Old Father Peneman a threatening to dispose me, he having a mortgage on my property, and some neighbors a prophesying that I should lose all my customers. But I burst those bands and was baptized by Elder Eli P. Magim on Monday November 20th, 1841, in the Cantocook river. While this was going on, the Methodist sisters gathered around my wife a telling her that she had got to give up her husband for he had joined a poor deluded people and would go off and leave her. I was about the first one that was baptized in that place, but after this the church began to increase very fast, and in January 1842, my wife was baptized.
Ordination and travel to Nauvoo
In February, 1843, George Bryant was ordained an Elder in the church, and continued helping to build up the church in his area until September 2, 1845, when he and his wife and a few others left to gather with the saints in Nauvoo. After what was apparently an adventurous trip; by rail to Albany, New York, by canal boat to Buffalo, then by steam boat up the Great Lakes to Chicago, overland to the Missouri River, then steam boat again down to Nauvoo, they arrived October 5th 1845. In Nauvoo, he helped prepare wagons for the saints for emigration and managed to get his own family equipped as well. Also in Nauvoo, he was ordained a Seventy, and he and his wife were sealed in the Nauvoo Endowment House in January, 1846.
On to Winter Quarters
On June 16th, 1846, he and his family crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa, and along with two other families headed for Winter Quarters, Nebraska. George Bryant and his wife were both very sick with the "Ague", for over a year, and saw many others perish from the same sickness all around them. He gave credit for his recovery to being administered to by Brigham Young and Orson Pratt.
While still in the Nebraska-Iowa area, George Bryant married his second wife, Betsy Ann Bird who subsequently bore him three children; Emily Amanda, Mary Sedella and George Able (born in Salt Lake City). However, this marriage didn't last. Concerning the end of this marriage, he wrote,
She left me on the 26th of Sept. 1853, and married a man by the name of Kimball Hardy, and went to California.
Life in Salt Lake City
George worked for the next several years in the Salt Lake City area. He worked in the public blacksmith shop for seven years, and in lumbering in the Mill Creek and Big Cottonwood areas. On October 17th, 1852, he married Harriet Mariah Beebe, mother of Quince Rogers Gardner. Harriet bore George 13 children in all. He married again Elizabeth Lucina Mechama on June 4, 1857. He states that she received her endowments the same day at the Endowment House. She had three children by George Bryant.
Call to Arizona
On October 6, 1862 George was called on a mission to southern Utah. He arrived in Virgin City, Kane County, Utah on December 6, 1862,
...bought a lot for a yoke of oxen of James A. Bay, fixed up a shop and went to work.
He stayed in Virgin City until the fall of 1877 when he went to Arizona in response to another call. The following is the letter in its that he wrote to President Wilford Woodruff from Woodruff, Arizona, dated September 4, 1894:
Dear Brother, I wish to ask a favor from you if you can see fit to grant it. Ever since I came to Nauvoo in 1845, I have been working for the benefit of my brethren. I worked in Nauvoo in Bro. Snow's fitting out company all winter without money or price until he crossed the river. I worked in Winter Quqrters in '48 helping to fit out the 500 wagons that went to Salt Lake. I crossed the plains in your company, was Captain in Bro. E. Whipple's 50 of the first 10. Done many odd jobs such as shoeing oxen and horses, fixing wagons. Cut and welded 70 wagon tires in Ash Hallow. Came to Salt Lake City about Oct. 6th 1850. Paid tithing on all property. I was called upon to consecrate all my property to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which I did amounting to 979 dollars and was made steward over it. Have used it to the best of my ability. Worked for the Church in Big Cottonwood sawing lumber 4 years. Worked in public Black Smith Shop 5 years. Was sent to Farmington to start a Shop for Dr. Richards Estate by direction of F. D. Richards. Was called from there in Dec 1862 to go to the Cotton Country. Stayed in Virgin City and helped to build up that place. Was called from there to Arizona and here I am in Woodruff 81 years old. Have been in two United Orders until they have both broke up. Was at Moancoppy 5 years. Presided there two years in the absence of a Bishop. Done my part in putting in the dams in that place. Have done my part in putting in 4 dams in Woodruff. Now I am worked all I can stand. The most of my land here is railroad land. I am not able to pay the claim on it and if it is the mind of the Lord and his servants to give me a little to my land I will be very thankful. I would like hence to go free from debt. Pres. Smith and Hatch can tell more than I can write. I remain you Bro in the Gospel of peace. G. B. Gardner
George Bryant Gardner died March 13, 1898. He was buried at Woodruff, Arizona.
